House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2008, with 28% of the vote.
Interparliamentary Delegations February 6th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canadian branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie respecting its participation in the mission of the Americas Region of the APF, held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, November 6 and 7, 2007.
Committees of the House February 5th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, according to my colleague from the Bloc Québécois we were saying things that were offensive and inappropriate. We were simply asking about the Bloc Québécois' record after 17 years of being here in Ottawa. It is a meagre record. One minute would surely give him all the time he needs to explain his record. I am giving him another chance to take stock of what the Bloc Québécois has done in 17 years. He should be able to sum it up in 15 seconds.
Afghanistan January 29th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Canadians, I wish to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan.
Our thoughts are with Gunner Jonathan Dion of the 5e régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada who died on December 30, 2007; Warrant Officer Hani Massouh of 2 Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, who died on January 6, 2008; Trooper Richard Renaud of the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, who died on January 15, 2008; and Corporal Étienne Gonthier, of the 5e Régiment du Génie de Combat, who died on January 23, 2008.
We pay tribute to these brave Canadians. Thanks to their courage and that of their fellow soldiers, Canada is fulfilling with honour the UN-led mission to provide the people of Afghanistan the security they need for a better future.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the mourning families of those whose sacrifice was not made in vain.
The Environment December 12th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the hypocrisy of the Bloc Québécois knows no borders. The Bloc does not want China, India and the United States, although they are the world's largest emitters, to have greenhouse gas emissions targets.
As Quebec's environment minister said: “we believe that mandatory targets must be imposed upon everyone, and that is, yes, countries must participate in the fight against climate change, including the United States and emerging economies like China and India”.
The Bloc knows that we deliver on everything we say. We committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and by 60 to 70% by 2050. Once again, while the opposition prefers to complain and live in the past, we are putting our words into actions by showing leadership in order to protect our environment.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere wishes for a happy holiday season to everyone.
Democratic Reform December 6th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, in Canada, voter turnout is on the decline. To resolve this problem, the government has introduced a bill to add two days to the advance poll, which will be held on the two Sundays before election day.
Can the Minister for Democratic Reform inform the House of the status of this important democratic reform?
Hog Industry November 29th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, Canada's hog industry has been in difficulty for several years now. The rise in the value of the dollar, international competition and porcine circovirus are causing huge headaches for producers.
All this time, the Bloc Québécois has never been able to do anything to help hog producers, except yell, of course.
Can the Secretary of State (Agriculture) tell us what the Conservative government is doing to help producers?
Quebec Nation November 29th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, it has been a year since my government took a major step in the history of Canada by recognizing the Québécois as a nation within a united Canada.
I am delighted by this step, which demonstrates our Prime Minister's vision and leadership. Indeed, by taking that action, he strengthened our ideals and highlighted the solid foundation of our shared aspirations.
I remember this motion and the fact that the leader of the Bloc Québécois changed his position three times on this simple matter—something that he says he has been supporting and protecting for the past 10 years. In the end, the Bloc Québécois also recognized the wisdom of the Prime Minister's proposal.
Finally, since it was so difficult for the Bloc Québécois to reach a decision on such a simple matter, we understand why the members of the Bloc can do nothing more than shout and ask questions here in this House.
The Environment November 26th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, at the recent Commonwealth summit in Ouganda, a number of countries more preoccupied with politics than with real change have circulated incorrect information.
The Prime Minister took a leadership role in working on achieving a consensus with his Commonwealth partners, especially those from developing countries.
Canada's position on global measures is clear: any agreement on climate change has to set targets for everyone, especially large emitters like China, India and the United States.
Consequently, we will not approve any agreement that does not include all countries, because everyone has to do their part when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As for the criticism from the Liberal leader, it is criticism from a man who has let greenhouse gas emissions exceed by 33% the objectives of the Kyoto protocol.
In its Speech from the Throne, our government was very clear about its environmental policy. That policy has been adopted and it has the confidence of the House.
The Environment November 23rd, 2007
Mr. Speaker, from December 3 to 14, 2008, Bali will host the international climate change conference. Once again, our government will reaffirm the leadership role it intends to play in guiding all nations towards a global solution.
Canadians will recall the leadership shown by the Prime Minister during the Berlin conference. One of the main topics of that meeting was the need to reach an agreement concerning the reduction of greenhouse gases among all large emitters, particularly China, India and the United States.
Yesterday, the Minister of the Environment met with the Indonesian special envoy for climate change and confirmed that Canada strongly feels that any future agreement must establish binding commitments for all greenhouse gas emitting countries.
Our government remains committed to the interests of Canadians, in contrast to the negligence of the Liberals and the impotence of the Bloc Québécois.
Bloc Québécois November 16th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, the hon. member for Trois-Rivières proposed a motion to reopen the debate on the current situation in the manufacturing and forestry sectors. The Bloc Québécois may try to take advantage of its opposition day to justify its presence here in Ottawa, but I think it is important to remind those members of their hypocrisy.
They should be ashamed of themselves for calling on the Economic Development Agency of Canada to intervene in this sector, given that the Bloc Québécois voted against the creation of that agency. Bloc members also voted against the Speech from the Throne and the economic update, which identified those sectors as a priority for this government.
Unlike the empty rhetoric of the Bloc Québécois, we are taking consistent action to promote the regional economic development of Quebec.